In Case Of Zombies
by Mage-Alia
Summary: What do you do when the world is being consumed by a mutated killer virus. What happens when your relatives, in one last reluctant act take you with them to another country, and what happens when they leave you for dead against the Undead hordes?
1. Prelude

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Left 4 Dead (Even though it is a wicked game). I just wish I did.

* * *

Harry Potter/ Left4Dead crossover

* * *

In Case Of Zombies

By: Mage-Alia

Prelude: Convergence

* * *

Summary: What do you do when the world is being consumed by a mutated killer virus. What happens when your relatives, in one last reluctant act take you with them to another country, and what happens when they leave you for dead against the Undead hordes? Harry is put to the test as one of the few survivors of the Apocalypse, but with no help from the wizarding world, how long will he last?

AU, No Pairings.

* * *

**_Metro International Airport_**

_**0800 Hours**_

_**ETI: Minus 10 Hours**_

* * *

The Metro International Airport was bustling with activity.

People scurried from gate to gate as loud announcements where made over the speakers calling for missing passengers and lost luggage. The Dursley Family where crammed into uncomfortable plastic seats that bowed with the two male Dursleys weight as they waited for their Chuffer to finish loading their bags into the luxury car. Fairfield City had been chosen as their holiday destination in the Summer following Harry's Fifth year, Renown for it's National Parks, Medical Research Centres… and of course, the Steak. The sole reason the Dursleys had come was to find a restaurant that serve nothing but Steak, the size of Vernon's middle and Beer.

And Harry had the Dubious fortune of being dragged along with them.

Having been old enough to survive without a baby sitter, the Dursleys hadn't had an excuse to leave him on his own. They hadn't wanted to take him but they didn't want to leave him on Privet Drive either, so when Harry had Arrived home they'd told him to pack his clothes and get ready to leave the country. They'd always had a passport for him, something they never thought they'd even need, but it was with it that Harry found himself sitting in an economy class seat on a plane headed across the pond to the states.

Naturally, the Dursleys had flown first class.

Harry liked to think that it was because they where the only seats on the plane big enough for Dudley and Vernon's backsides to fit in.

In the airport Harry was told to maintain a distance from them of Ten feet at all times and so he was surprised when Petunia approached him, looking like she'd just stepped in something.

"Boy!" She shrilled, holding out a sheet of paper. "This is the address of the hotel we'll be staying at, we expect you to find your own way there but we will be going straight to the restaurant once we are settled in so we don't expect to be back until late so you'll just have to fend for yourself till then." She sniffed and reluctantly handed over a crumpled ten dollar note that Harry quickly squirreled away before she could snatch it back.

Petunia did a fair impersonation of Snape's sneer.

"If you're no there when we return from the restaurant you'll need to find some where else to sleep, we won't be waking up at all hours to let you in!" With that final declaration she turned around and simply abandoned him in the Airport without so much as a spared thought.

It took a while for the shock to wear off.

* * *

_**Fairfield University**_

_**1009 Hours**_

_**ETI: Minus 7 Hours 51 Minutes**_

* * *

_She was running. _

_She could hear the howls of the horde behind her and it chilled her to the bone. Mike was breathing heavily and his eyes where wide as he dared look over his shoulder and gave a strangled yell of his own. _

"_Claire! Keep running!" He shouted in a voice pitched high with fear and Claire was instantly glad she'd ditched her high heels a mile back as he pumped his legs faster. Mike all but dragged her and for a moment it looked like they'd actually make it as a house came into view on the horizon, but their relief was short lived when out of the dark night there was a terrible screeching that drowned out all the howls from before. Claire didn't even get the chance to turn around or even cry out a warning as something barrelled into her from behind and all she could do was scream…_

"ZOEY!"

Laying on the bed in her dorm Zoey nearly jumped out of her skin as her door was slammed open by her best friend.

"FUCK!" Zoey responded with equal volume, nearly crab walking up the wall in shock as she scuttled into a corner, a baseball bat coming into her hands as the lights blazed, dispelling the dark air of the horror movie playing out on the Television screen.

Gina blinked in surprise as she took in the sight of her best friend all but standing on the corner bedpost with bat in hand breathing like she'd run a mile. The redhead looked around for whatever would have caused the reaction and noticed the tinny screams of the actress for the first time.

"Fuck Gina! Are you trying to put me in an early grave?! You scared the crap outta me!" Zoey all but shouted, lowering the bat as she stood in the corner, trying to get her breath back. Gina frowned darkly,

"Well I knocked, but it looks like you where too wrapped up in the movie to notice. Honestly, I don't know why you watch all those things, you'll just give yourself nightmares with all the horror movies you watch." She picked up an empty dvd cover and scanned over it, recognising yet another Zombie title before she threw it into a pile. Zoey finally got her breathing under control and hopped down from the bed, placing the bat back against the nightstand as she walked past Gina and shut the door behind her, blocking out the shouts of the other girls in the dorms around hers.

"Well then, I'll have plenty to talk about with my therapist when I get older, but until then there's nothing wrong in watching the classics." Gina gave her a deadpan look.

"Zoe? Half of them are old, crappy, B-Grade movies from the stone age, and even if I thought they where any good I'd still tell you to stop watching them! I don't know if you've noticed but you've been in here, all semester! You've even started to miss classes! The Professors aren't gonna put up with it for much longer, especially with the final's coming up."

Zoey shuffled around the room with her head down as she listened to her friend's tirade, finally shutting off the television with a snap and turning her eyes to one wall where her posters where displayed. Nearly every horror movie since the beginning of movies had something up there, and her pride and joy was a replica shotgun mounted in a box right in the middle with the words **'In case of Zombies – Break Glass.'** Neatly printed in plain view.

"They aren't." She responded to Gina's tirade, waving to her desk where a letter sat, one she'd been reading before she'd put on the movie to take her mind off it. The other girl picked it up and skimmed through.

"EXPULTION!?" She shrieked a moment later and Zoey couldn't look at her as she kept reading out loud.

"If the student fails to receive a satisfactory passing grade in the Exams at the end of the Semester we will have to choice but to ask you to leave the University… Zoey, finals are like a week away!"

There was a tense moment of silence and Gina finally sighed.

"Look, I came in to ask you if you wanted to come into the city with me today." Gina admitted, placing the letter back onto a stack of unfinished Essays. "With all the hype going on over the whole killer disease rumours I thought it'd be fun, besides, didn't you say you needed a new jacket? What do you say?" The other girl smiled openly and Zoey finally relaxed, throwing her a grin of her own, grabbing her old pink cardigan from the back of a chair and bending down to slip on her sneakers.

"Sure, I have to go in anyway, a new order came in at one of the stores and I have to go pick it up." Gina frowned at the brunette but didn't do more than crumple her nose in distaste for her friend's choice in movies as she watched her lock up,

"Ready?" Zoey grinned at her, "Lets go!"

* * *

_**Smokey's Heart Attack Barbecue and Grill**_

_**1143 Hours**_

_**ETI: Minus 6 Hours 17 Minutes**_

* * *

"This ain't how you treat a Veteran." Bill was grumbling as he tore off the apron and whipped his soap-wrinkled hands on it. Life as of the moment, quite plainly sucked the VC's balls. He hadn't taken two tours of Vietnam and a knee full of shrapnel just to be kicked around from one dead end job to another when he got back home. Sure everyone had loved him for a while and he'd gotten a few medals for it but these days, you couldn't even walk out in the street without having the kids of the day walk all over you for being Old.

Chucking the apron into the still full sink Bill growled under his breath and pushed away from the bench, limping only slightly from having to spend all day standing on his bad leg.

"I'm going out for a smoke." He grumbled at the nearest kitchen hand and made his way out through a side door, catching sight of a couple of fat tourists standing at the counter and salivating at the menu.

Bill didn't see anything special about it himself. It was just meat.

He'd been working there for a few days, saving up a few bucks so he could drift onto the next town. The grizzled veteran hadn't had anywhere to go after his 'honourable' discharge from the military. It had been his life, fighting for his country, but now he was no more than a bum living off payouts from the government.

Taking out a cigarette and perching on a nearby crate he sneered at it, wishing for a cigar, but he lit it up anyway. It wasn't like he could afford them these days anyway. Further down the alley a fight had broken out in the biker bar that was still roaring with heavy metal music like it had been since the early hours of the morning. He was half tempted to go over and join the scrap as one of the regulars was tossed out the door and into the alley but decided against it as the musclebound biker, covered in tattoos, gave out a roar and gleefully charged back into the fray.

"HEY BILL! GET BACK IN HERE! THERE'S DISHES THAT NEED DOING!" The manager, an overweight former truckie with a balding head and a plaid shirt yelled from the kitchens and bill gave and aggravated sigh.

"Yeah yeah, I'm commin." He grouched and put out the Cigarette on the crate before swinging off it, wincing as he landed on his bum leg.

"AND SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULENCE!" The manager shouted again from the depths of the bar. "SOME TOURIST HAD ONE OF THE STEAKS AND HAD A HEART ATTACK!" There was a laugh from the Kitchen hand.

"Was it the fat old guy?" He asked, rushing for the door as a waiter ducked in.

"Nah." The teenaged waiter put the remains of a steak down on a bench and joined him in watching the mother of the family screeching uselessly at another waiter. "It was the Kid."

Bill grumbled and shook his head.

They should start putting health warnings on those things.

* * *

_**Downtown Fairfield**_

_**1220 Hours**_

_**ETI: Minus 5 Hours 40 Minutes**_

* * *

Lewis was cursing himself as he marched along the street, briefcase under his arm, and his head hanging low. He'd chickened out again. All he'd had to say was two little words to his boss, and he would have been free, but he'd taken the cowards route and run for the hills.

To be honest, he needed his job. He lived alone, the rest of his family was on the west coast and he'd had trouble finding work he was qualified for. It was the reason he'd come to Fairfield in the first place. There'd been an opening as a Junior Systems Analyst that had been right up his alley. Junior meant there had to be a senior, and that meant there was room to move. But after a year, the promotion he'd been hanging out for had never come and all he wanted to do was leave.

Sitting down on a park bench he watched idly as an Ambulance sped past, it's rear axel almost scraping the road from the weight of it's cargo. It ran a read light at a nearby intersection and one driver had to brake in a hurry to avoid hitting it. They got out of their car and where yelling obscenities for a good minute before honking horns of the cars he was holding up forced him to move. The dark skinned man watched the lights changing until someone sat down on the bench beside him with a sigh.

It was a kid. He had a scruffy look to him, decked out in clothes to many sizes to big for him with a backpack slung across his shoulders. At first, Lewis thought he was a hiker, they got plenty of those types round here, what with the National Parks, but as he looked closer it became more apparent that this kid wasn't from around here. He looked more like a runaway.

Eventually the kid noticed his stare and sent him a slightly paranoid sort of look and Lewis shook himself out of his stupor.

"Uh, sorry." He muttered and the boy looked confused until he clarified. "...for Staring I mean. I've kinda just been out of it."

"Oh, okay." The boy turned around and closed his eyes behind his glasses before asking in a clear British accent. "Bad day?" Lewis couldn't help but let out a snort.

"Understatement." He answered and the kid grinned in something like understanding.

"That makes two of us." Lewis only just managed to refrain from asking, the kid probably wouldn't have told a complete stranger what was wrong anyway. So they sat there in a semi-companionable silence until Lewis's watched beeped, marking the end of his lunch hour.

"Damn… well, back into the jaws of hell." He joked and the kid laughed.

"Good luck then." He waved and for some reason Lewis felt far more light-hearted going back to work than when he'd left it.

Maybe he'd actually quit his job today… or tomorrow, tomorrow sounded good.

* * *

_**Fairfield Holiday Inn**_

_**1434 Hours**_

_**ETI: Minus 3 Hours 26 Minutes**_

* * *

"I'm sorry, but there's no one by the name of Dursley currently staying at the hotel."

Harry felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as the Concierge behind the desk of the Holiday Inn spoke those words.

"Are you sure? I mean they have to be registered here, they booked ahead and everything." Well, at least Harry hoped they did. This was the right address after all. Noting his panic the Concierge tried searching again.

"We did have two rooms booked under that name, one quad, and one double room. They where to have supposed to checked in a few hours ago, but since they failed to show up their booking was cancelled." He attempted to smile sympathetically, but Harry was too stunned to respond.

They – Never – Checked – In.

Harry's blood ran cold as the possibilities of their actions flooded his mind and he settled on one of the most likely scenarios.

They'd abandoned him.

It took a few long shuddering breaths before his emotions where under control and he looked up at the Concierge with obviously forced calm.

"Was there any contact Number attached to the Booking?" The man shook his head.

"No, I'm very sorry." His voice was laden with pity and Harry found himself clenching his fists so tightly his nails bit into his palm. "Would you like to make a call to anyone? We can organise to help you get home if you'd like." Harry thought hard, and for a moment, he thought to call Hermione, but with it came the realisation that he didn't have her number, and even then, there was no assurance she would be home as her parents often travelled.

"No." He muttered in defeat. "There's no one there." That said he turned and left the Hotel, ignoring the calls of the Concierge. Wandering out past an electronics store he stared into the window where the news was playing a story about some sort of domestic dispute in the suburbs that had gone horribly wrong when a wife had attacked her husband and felt his stomach growl. Rummaging through his pockets for the ten-dollar note he looked around for something to eat, thinking about making the money last before he settled on McDonalds.

The plastic seats, bad service and sloppy food where a universal constant throughout the world, and more than a little familiar as he ordered a meal and sat down in a quiet corner near two collage girls who where having an argument about horror movies and school work. He listened to them talking as he ate and sat there afterward, his head drifting closer to his tray as the day caught up with him. What had started with him feeling mildly optimistic, had turned into a nightmarish day from hell. They'd dragged him on a red eye flight to the states, abandoning him at the airport to find his own way from a neighbouring city. (He'd snuck aboard a train.) Wondered around lost until someone had given him directions only to find that they'd never turned up to their hotel. Either something had happened that had thrown off their plans spectacularly, or they had gone and done the unforgivable, abandoning him in another country without any help.

His wand, crammed into his bag, weighed on him heavily as he thought about doing magic. Maybe if the American Ministry detected underage magic they'd come find him, and send him back to England…

"Hey? Are you alright?"

His train of thought was broken by one of the collage girls who had come over to check on him. He got an eyeful of pink when he opened them and for a moment he cringed, forcibly reminded of Umbridge before he shook his head at the girl.

"No… I'm fine. I'll be fine." The girl looked somewhat doubtful, but nodded her acceptance anyway.

"Alright then… If you're sure." That said, she backed off and returned to her friend. Harry sighed and closed his eyes once more, listing to the girl's low voices as they talked between themselves.

Eventually they left to see a movie, and Harry decided to leave too. He'd need to find a place to stay the night. With no Dursleys and no money, he was screwed. Wandering over to a park, he did what he usually did in the summers at Privet Drive when the weather was warm enough and the Dursleys had locked him outside. He climbed a large tree and settled down in the branches, praying that no one would try to attack him in the night. So with the sun still above the distant horizon and the sounds of everyday life around him he fell asleep.

* * *

_**Fairfield City Park**_

_**1800 Hours**_

_**ETI: 0 Hours 0 Minutes.**_

* * *

He nearly fell out of the tree as he woke to the sounds of a car crash near by, and finally registered the honking of horns that blared alongside a message that was being broadcasted all through the city. Harry looked at his watch and noticed the time.

6pm

He'd been asleep for just under three hours… but what possibly could have happened in that time?

"All residents are advised to stay inside their homes. Lock and seal all windows and doors and await further instructions. Evacuation of the city is underway. People who can't reach their homes are advised to find the nearby evacuation shelters immediately while the crisis is dealt with…" The message continued to play, listing a number of shelters, and Harry only recognised the location of one, being so close by. Deciding to obey the orders, if only to find out what was going on, he made sure his bag was still on his back and climbed down from the tree, making his way to the shelter.

When he got there he found a few other people already inside, and a few he was even more surprised to recognise. The two collage girls sat to one side, and the black man from the park bench earlier was also there. He clearly recognised him too, and dared to wave him over. Harry approached and sat down on a box looking around at some of the other people. There where a few homeless guys piled into a corner, a pair of cops checking people with nervous looks as they entered. A group of teenagers had taken over one corner, and an old guy in an Army green jacket with a green barrette was smoking unheeded in the back of the room.

"I guess the day just went from bad to worse." The black man jested weakly. Harry met his eyes and he gestured to the room. "It isn't exactly inspiring, considering how many people there are round here." Harry looked around again and then back at the man, noticing for the first time how unkempt he really looked. He'd discarded the jacket of his suit and the sleeves where rolled up, while a red tie hung loosely from around his neck like a noose.

"What's going on?" The man looked at him strangely.

"Haven't you been watching the news? People have been getting sick all over, they're saying they've got some sort of highly contagious virus that's loose around here. Those disease control guys have been blaring on the news for the last hour about how it's been spreading. There's even been a few deaths due to it already."

Harry stared at him in disbelief, almost hoping that it was just a hoax, but there was a very real fear in the black man's eyes. He'd seen something happen already…

"Harry." He said out of the blue and the man jumped.

"What?" He asked, startled, and Harry held out a hand to shake.

"Harry, it's my name." His eyes widened in understanding and he took his hand firmly.

"I'm Lewis, nice to meet you."

* * *

A/N: Okay, so it's kinda vauge, and it's more of an idea that popped into my head when I was recording game footage. There are a few Left 4 Dead stories out there already, but I'm pretty sure there's no crossovers, but I could be wrong, you never know. So who picked up the references made in this chapter huh? I tried to create a timeline for the 10 hours leading up to the outbreak and where all our staring actors were in the hours before hand which is something most people don't go into that often.

And just so you know, the Infection was around before Harry arrived in Fairfield so that puts him and the others closer to the 2 Weeks after infection mark so timelines will eventually match up. He's just arrived at the very beginning of the mass contamination.

So, let me know what you think so far and I'll see about regular updates.

Don't forget to Review.

Cya


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Left 4 Dead (Even though it is a wicked game). I just wish I did.

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Harry Potter/ Left4Dead crossover

* * *

In Case Of Zombies

By: Mage-Alia

Chapter 1: Infection

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Summary: What do you do when the world is being consumed by a mutated killer virus. What happens when your relatives, in one last reluctant act take you with them to another country, and what happens when they leave you for dead against the Undead hordes? Harry is put to the test as one of the few survivors of the Apocalypse, but with no help from the wizarding world, how long will he last?

AU, No Pairings.

* * *

_**Bloody Cross Biker Bar**_

_**T Plus 1 Hour 23 Minutes**_

* * *

"Feh, I ain't gonna go runnin from some Virus." Francis was a simple guy, with simple needs. Just as long as he had pretty girls, beer and a skull or two to crush he was happy with life, but if he left the bar now, he'd be deprived of at least two.

'And that,' he thought as he leered at a barmaid in clothing that could barely be called clothes strolled past on the other side of the divider that protected the bar staff from the bikies, 'just won't do.' The woman gave a flirty sort of smile in return until a crash from upstairs whipped it right off her face. She glared at the ceiling.

"Ed better not be trying to have his way with the girls again." She growled and stomped over to the stairs.

There went one.

No one else was behind the bar and Francis only realised this when he finally drained the dregs of his last bear out of his mug.

There went two.

Suddenly, there was a scream from upstairs, and the Barmaid came barrelling down again, her scant clothing torn to shreds and her back covered in scratches as she ran past him to the far end of the bar.

It was a dead end.

"Help! Help me please!" She shrieked but before he could even think to move Francis witnessed the woman's two children and her good for nothing husband come barrelling down the stairs but they didn't look right. Their skin was grey, and they where covered in ugly bites an gashes that looked as though they'd come from human nails and teeth. There was a glazed look in their eyes but there was still a powerful bloodlust in their gaze. They zeroed in on the Screaming woman and in a flash they where on her, ripping and tearing her limb from limb with the only weapons they had. _Fingers and Teeth._ The screams died to a gurgle, and Francis knew without a doubt that she was already dead. He'd put down the mug, and was getting up to leave when one of the little girls noticed him.

Francis nearly crapped his shorts when she slammed herself violently against the barrier so hard her own blood and brain matter where smeared against the bars.

"Oh fuck no, I ain't stickin around for this." He cursed and turned to face the empty bar, only to notice a few extra shadows to the corners that hadn't been there before.

"Damn!" One of the…. Zombies charged him and Francis let fly with his fists, knuckles pounding into the zombie's face and dropping it to the floor like a ton of bricks. More turned toward the noise and Francis weighed the odds before deciding there where too many of them to take on solo. So he cut his losses and ran. Out in the alley it was no better as the screaming and howling that he hadn't registered from inside the bar became apparent. It took one look a Police car at the end of the alley before he was running toward it and another minute later he was armed with a pump action shotgun that he held with all the confidence of someone who had been in and out of prisons to many times to count.

Counting the ammo, he cocked the weapon and grinned.

If everyone else was killing everyone, then why should he miss out on the fun?

At least he still had option number three.

Down Town Emergency Shelter

* * *

_**T Plus 4 Hours 13 Minutes**_

* * *

The sound's of howling and the screams of panicked citizens had gradually grown louder over the course of the evening and down in the shelter where Harry had taken refuge people where starting to get restless.

A few more cops had joined them, as well as a young family before they'd sealed everything off and locked them in, the teenagers where sitting in sullen silence as the novelty wore off and fear set in. A few of the girls where even crying. The bums where still sleeping, oblivious to the noise and the collage girls and the smoking army veteran had slowly gravitated closer to where Harry and Lewis were sitting.

"I'm Gina." The red haired collage girl had introduced herself. "And this is Zoey.' She gestured to the pink clad brunette that had tried to see if he was okay earlier in McDonalds.

"Hi there, well, I'm Lewis, and this is Harry." Lewis did the introductions as the girls pulled over a box and turned it into a makeshift seat. Harry looked up to see Gina biting her nails nervously, when she wasn't twisting her dress in shaking hands, Zoey however, looked much calmer, almost serene sitting on the packing box with one arm around her friend. Harry raised an eyebrow, silently asking why she wasn't freaked out, but the older girl just shrugged.

Lewis chatted away the time, making small talk and ending in his life story. No one stopped him from talking either. They all wanted something to keep their minds off the chaos outside. Someone screamed from close by and half the room jumped before the Veteran stood up and shuffled over, the group of four watching him warily as he sat down and began muttering.

"There is most certainly something not right going on out there." He grumbled and lit another cigarette making them lapse into a tense silence.

"And what do you think is going on out there?" Harry found the nerve to ask. There was a thin layer of Apathy in his voice, and that apathy was one of the few things that allowed him to be so calm in the first place…

That and the death grip he had on his wand where no one could see it.

The old guy shrugged.

"I don't know jack shit." He swore. "And that lot aren't telling." The police where huddled into a tighter group around the door, not looking at anyone as they spoke in low whispers. Zoey was the only other one to turn and look at them as Gina decided to break the tension.

"So…. Harry, you're from England right? Your accent…." She trailed off. "Must have made this a hell of a holiday, huh?" She made a weak attempt at a joke. "It's usually much more peaceful around here." Harry stared at her.

"It's…. been strange so far. I certainly wasn't expecting this when I made my first trip to the colonies." The Veteran snorted in bad humour and Harry figured he was a bit of a patriot. Gina just tittered nervously and the conversation from there came a little easier, the Veteran, who'd named himself as Bill, even throwing in a comment every now and then.

That was until the unthinkable happened.

Mostly unnoticed, the bums in the corner had begun to move. For the last six hours they'd been dead to the world, probably not even aware there was a crisis at all. One sat up slowly, blinking around the room with a glazed expression. Under a concealing layer of dirt, his face was a pasty shade of white that was almost unnatural and his eyes, bloodshot as they where, would have brought thoughts of Voldemort to mind had he noticed in time… but no one did.

He got up, uncoordinated, and resorted to using the wall to stand before the man found his balance, those bloodshot eyes lighting up as he finally took a look around the room, shining with hunger.

One of the girls in the other group shrieked as the bum leapt at her from behind.

"Wha?"

"HELP ME!"

"GET OFF HER!"

"QUICK! SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!"

The other kids got to their feet and two boys slammed into the bum, knocking him off her but the bum just got to his feet once more and made a lunge for the nearest breathing body. The police near the doorway where rooted to the floor in shock, unable to move for the horror.

After a stunned moment of silence, Harry was just about to pull out his wand and curse the man to pieces when someone finally did something. Zoey flowed to her feet, shrugging off Gina's frantic grip, crossed the room to the police in a few strides, unbuckled one's gun and levelled it at the bum before the sharp report of the weapon firing sounded throughout the shelter with a ominous _**CRACK**_.

**Thud.**

No one dared to move as Zoey lowered the firearm and moved forward to check her handywork.

It was about then that they noticed the smell. The reek of death and infection permeated the air and the policeman who's firearm Zoey had confiscated didn't even think to get it back as he drew his nightstick and prodded the bums left in the corner.

They were already dead, every single one of them.

The girl that had been attacked groaned weakly, and the others hovered around her but she'd been bitten at least three times before they'd got the bum off her. A boy, the bum's second target wasn't looking much better, cradling his arm where the man had clawed him like a rabid animal, and suddenly the semi-safe feeling of the shelter was gone as they realised that the infection. What ever it was. Had already been in there with them. Harry looked back at the others, and Bill frowned as he meet Harry's gaze. Recognising the expression on his face confirming his feeling that he'd seen something like this before.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of yah, but I'm taking that as my cue to get outta here." He said in a low tone as people started to panic. Zoey had backed up, hands shaking almost imperceptibly as she heard Bill and nodded to the door.

"First rule of the Zombie Apocalypse." She said quietly. "Never go out into one alone." In the second after she said that Gina looked up at her like she was mad.

"ZOMBIES!? YOU THINK IT'S ZOMBIES!?" She shrieked in panic. "YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING TO MANY OF THOSE DAMN MOVIES TO BE THINKING OF SOMETHING AT A TIME LIKE THIS!" People stopped and stared but Zoey met Gina's gaze and held it.

"Well what do you think is going on out there huh?" She raised the same question Bill had earlier, waving her gun hand at the door. "It's certainly not all sunshine and daisies! This entire situation reeks of Zombies! We even have the token Black guy down here and you don't think this doesn't seem awfully familiar? No offence Lewis." She cut to the side quickly, apologising to the older man who just gulped nervously.

"Eh… no problem."

Gina looked almost betrayed.

"Its all just one big horror movie to you isn't it." She breathed out. "All you ever do is sit around and watch movies all day, but I never thought it would make you think like this! Someone will come for us, they will. The last thing we should be doing is going outside! The authorities will-"

"You're Authorities ain't commin." Bill grumbled out behind her, taking a long drag from the cigarette in his hand. He'd started chain smoking as the pressure got worse, but this was his last as he dropped it to the concrete floor and stamped out the ashes. "Those things out there aren't about to just let them walk in here and get us. They're gonna take over and if you've got any sense you've gotta leave now. I ain't lived through two wars not to learn a thing or two missy."

The redhead gaped at him, her jaw working silently, real fear pouring off her in almost tangible waves and Zoey opened her mouth to say something, but before she could the collage girl had stomped off toward the girl who'd been bitten, deciding to gather what courage she had and take charge of the teenagers. Zoey watched her go with sad eyes, but didn't stop her as Bill opened a box on the wall and pulled out a small red bundle with a white cross emblazoned across the top.

A first aid kit.

"If you're both leaving, I'll go with you." Harry's voice surprised them, and himself as he spoke up quietly. "I can't stay here, not when there's things back in England I still need to do." Bill gave him another measuring look, and finally nodded, throwing him another first aid kit from the box.

"Carry that then, will ya, and keep up, once we leave here we ain't gonna be stopping any time soon." The old man threw another kit to Zoey who caught it easily and slung it over her shoulder before he looked expectantly at Lewis.

"You commin?"

The black man looked uncertainly between them all, his gaze going from one face to the next before he finally nodded.

"Sure, one more of us can't hurt, and I guess this shit wouldn't be complete without the token black guy." He made light of Zoey's earlier argument, and the Brunette gave him a weak smile in return. Harry looked between them and crammed the first aid kit into the top of his bag before swinging it onto his back and heading for the exit, only to be stopped short by the nearest cop.

"Sorry, kid. But no one's gonna be leaving here. It ain't safe to go out yet." He held up his radio as if to emphasise the point. It merely crackled with static, no voices having emerged for the last few hours. Bill swaggered forward, a length of pipe he'd torn off the wall hanging over one shoulder.

"It ain't safe in here either." The old man said gruffly and the cop flushed. Signalling them to wait there, he crossed to his colleagues and huddled there closely. Their low murmurs continued and for a while and finally they turned back, one taking the key off his belt and heading to the door. He paused at the metal barricade and listened but outside, an eerie silence had fallen. After hours of screams and roars they where disturbed by the sudden peace.

"We'll let you out, but once that door's closed, it's not opening again. You're on your own." The look he was giving them was almost pleading them not to leave, but he said nothing else. Behind them, Zoey went to hand the gun back to its owner, but the man shook his head.

"No, you keep it." He was white in the face as he said that, his fingers finding a better grip around his nightstick. "I doubt I'd get into trouble for giving it to you now." He joked weakly and Zoey just tucked it away into her jacket pocket without a word.

The first officer opened the door while the other two trained their weapons on the opening. When nothing came through they opened it further and Bill lead the way outside. Harry himself was last to leave, and so it was him that got grabbed from behind by the cop and held back.

"Look kid. I don't know what's going on out there, but I can tell you one thing. There's on one else responding to their radio's down here." He said in a hurry, too low for the other inhabitants of the shelter to hear. "Not even the switch. I shouldn't have to remind you guys to be careful, but still, keep your eyes open and stay alert. These things won't stop to eat or sleep, and I doubt they're gonna be able to talk back if you try yelling at em. Good luck then Eh?" His piece said, he stepped back and the door slammed shut behind them with a ringing tone of finality leaving them alone in the dark underground tunnel that lead to the exit.

"Right then." Bill murmured, hefting his pipe and swinging it through the air like a baseball bat, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. "Lets get the hell outta here."

The others followed him without a word.

The streets where still eerily quiet as they approached a convenience store two blocks over. Being the only two who where obviously armed, Bill went first, quietly leading the way, while Zoey brought up the rear. Her hands where still rather unsteady on the pistol she held, but her eyes darted to every shadow and corner as she sought out threats with a paranoia induced by years of scaring herself spitless with horror movies. Harry had moved his wand to one deep pocket of his pants and still held it tightly as he walked, barely making a sound while Lewis, somewhat clumsily attempted to keep up.

Their first order of business had been to find supplies. Being the only one with a backpack Harry was their designated pack mule and the green eyed teenager hadn't complained about the task. Personally, he could go for days without food, having been conditioned somewhat by the Dursley's neglect, but the others where far from about to give up the luxury of eating just yet.

The lights where out, just like most of the shops in that part of the city and the dim light from the solar powered street lamps did little to reveal the contents of the gloom, but they did reveal something that would. Just inside the glass door of the convenience store was a display of torches.

Bill checked the door, jiggling the latch only to have it come free. It scraped against the frame and they all tensed, waiting for a reaction from the night around them, but it never came. Not questioning their luck Bill slipped in, grabbing a display torch and doing a round of the store, carefully shutting the door to the stock room at the back before he gestured them inside.

"Alright, quick now. Harry, Lewis. You two start collecting anything that'll keep. Just take stuff with sealed packaging. If it's been exposed to the air we can assume its contaminated." The pair nodded and hopped to it, Harry shrugging off his backpack as he went and Lewis grumbling faintly to himself. Bill and Zoey went for the torches, grabbing spare batteries they grabbed a couple of smaller ones that could be clipped onto things like the pistol and a few larger Mac Lights that, if all else failed, could become a weapon in their own right.

They knew it wasn't all that secure in the store, so as soon as they where ready they prepared to leave and that's when they made the best discovery of them all. Sitting behind the counter, was a much loved, well used shotgun will a box of shells. Zoey's eyes lit up as she noticed the gun and reached out for it only to have it snatched away by Bill at the last second.

Harry and Lewis just shared an exasperated look as the Black Man inherited Bill's pipe.

* * *

_**Apartment 2C, Edgeview Apartments, Claire Rd**_

_**T Plus 7 Hours 45 Minutes**_

* * *

Now Francis wasn't all that smart, he knew that much, no matter how he tried to avoid thinking about it… But he didn't need any book smarts to know that something big had gone belly up. If anyone else had been around, he would have put on a blustery face, and no one would have been likely to tell that he was afraid, but the truth of it all was that he was pissing himself in Terror.

These Zombies, had already eaten his neighbour and he could just hear the groaning from out in the street. His couch was pressed against the door, holding it closed against the occasional banging Zombie, while a bookshelf he'd never really had a need for before now stood before the only window of the little one room apartment. Francis was crouched behind the bed, the first shotgun in his hand and an array of others scattered on the bed sheets before him.

When it had become apparent that whatever was happening wasn't going to be temporary he'd started to gather whatever guns, ammunition and supplies he could find before retreating to familiar ground of his dingy apartment and blocking himself in and hunkering down where he could crap himself in peace and for the moment everything was peaceful…

Except for that Damned Crying!

He could hear his neighbour through the paper thin walls, and the bitch just wouldn't stop crying. No matter what he did to try and stop the sounds from reaching him he could still hear her sobbing and screeching her heart out. If he didn't know any better he would have said that she was gonna bring down all the zombies in the city on him with all that noise, but miraculously, there hadn't been so much as a groan nearby since the crying began.

Hell, he didn't blame them. He was creeped out by it too.

Another wailing shriek pierced through his brain as he pressed his ears into the pillows where he was trying to get some rest but it just wasn't working…

Oh hell, he'd go over there and put the bitch out of her misery.

A handgun went into the back of his belt, and an AK-47 he'd scrounged up from the warehouse of a very shady guy he used to know went over his shoulder on its strap before he crammed all but his favourite shotgun into a big duffle bag and dragged it to the door of his apartment. He crouched by it, listening carefully for anything outside and didn't see a thing, that that didn't count for squat. The Zombies could be sneaky little bastards when they wanted to be.

Francis had learned that the hard way.

Finally, he pushed the couch aside and opened the door, pulling his bag of guns and ammo with him as he went. Outside was a balcony that ran the length of the building with stairs down to ground level every ten meters or so. Below the balcony was the next level of apartments and the car park. Beyond that he could see a pool with the underwater light still on that threw the ghastly silhouettes of the corpses floating in it up on the walls of the cheep complex that had probably been an old hotel that had gone bust.

A few of the doors further along the balcony hung open and in the gloom beyond he could just imagine the shambling horrors watching him and waiting for him to fuck up. He gave the early morning darkness a sneer full of false bravado and started to make the silent crossing to his neighbour's door.

It was unlocked and free from obstruction.

That should have clued him in right there that something wasn't right.

Twisting the handle he shouldered it open, wincing as the hinges gave a few small squeaks and slipped inside. It took a moment for his eyes to readjust to the gloom, given he couldn't hold his torch and his gun at the same time, but when they did he didn't need to look far to find his neighbour.

She was huddled in front of her open fridge.

Light from the small bar fridge spilled out onto the figure of the woman, curled in to a ball. She looked far too skinny to be healthy as she rocked backwards and forwards sobbing. Her hair, formerly brown, had been bleached white and her skin was equally so, and it didn't take more than a second to understand why she didn't attract the Zombies like he did.

She was infected too.

Her hands and feet where malformed, mutated and she wore only the barest minimum of clothing, a dirty white singlet and a pair of underwear. If it had been under any other circumstances Francis might have found her somewhat attractive… if you counted out the claws that could rip you to shreds and the bone chilling crying.

He took a moment to think back to the last time he'd seen her outside her apartment and he found he couldn't remember… A shiver ran down his spine and he found himself creeping closer and closer, skirting the fallen objects on the floor until he stood just outside the refrigerators small pool of light.

"Sorry Tess." He grunted at the last second and startled, the creatures head turned to look at him with a startling speed but it was already to late for her to do anything more than look up at him with red ringed ruby eyes and gasp before he pulled the trigger and her head was blow clean off.

Francis absentmindedly cleaned off the muzzle of his shotgun before the groaning of Zombies nearby finally began to rise in the silence and Francis realised with Tess and her crying gone, they'd be coming back. Without a thought as to what he'd done he turned and fled out the door only to barrel head first into a zombie dressed in a business suit. The force of his body slam threw it clean over the railing and down into the parking lot…. Straight onto the hood of a car. The Zombie's head was splattered upon the bonnet but it got it's revenge a moment later as a piercing shrill split the air and red lights began flashing.

The car had an alarm.

"Oh FUCK!" Francis threw all caution to the wind and RAN. He bolted down the nearest flight of stairs as the doors in the Apartment building all flew open and Zombies all began pouring out toward the shrilling car. Out in fresh air though they caught wind of something else much tastier and changed direction, making Francis start to bolt blindly through the streets. He charged along as fast as he could still lugging the bag of weaponry before he recognised the area he was in and noticed he was back near the bar. Thinking quick he remembered that the Restaurant out on the street had a nice big thick metal door on the side and if there was one thing the zombies couldn't possibly get through all that quick it was a metal door.

He ran across to it, mindful of the horde that was only a street or two away before he slammed against the door. His fingers shook as he jiggled the handle and shouted out against all good sense.

"Hey! IS SOMEONE IN THERE! LET ME IN DAMNIT! LET ME IN!" He pounded hard against the surface of the door and then the handle moved in his grasp as someone responded on the other side and it swung open.

Francis didn't stop to think, he charged in, turned around and slammed the door behind him before he heard a cough.

"Now who the hell are you and why shouldn't I blow you from here to kingdom come?"

* * *

_**Smokey's Heart Attack Barbecue and Grill - Kitchen**_

_**T Plus 8 Hours **_

* * *

Francis turned around, putting up his arms, one still holding his gun as he took a look at the people in the kitchen.

The old guy that had him at gun point had white hair and a grizzled face that looked vaguely familiar before he remembered that he worked here. He was holding a shotgun something like his own and had a single unlit Cigarette hanging from the corner of his lips. Beside him, with what looked like a police issue handgun was a skinny bald black guy wearing the remants of a business suit and a red tie.

And behind them, peeking around the edge of a counter where two more. A scrawny kid with black hair and green eyes and behind him with her arms around the kid's shoulders was a girl.

An honest to god, not monster-eyed, uninfected Girl.

"Shit, ya old man. Get that fucking gun outta my face, I ain't infected with whatever that crap is so just fuck off." Then like magic, the two with the guns backed off.

"He ain't one of them." The old guy grumbled and the pair at the back of the room stepped out into View. "He talks to much."

Francis blinked as he went from the centre of attention to ignored.

"So who the fuck are you?"

* * *

A/N: If you've been to the Left 4 Dead website, it tells you that Zoey is a major Horror movie buff. When I started this I was kinda gonna just skip the whole character introduction bit, but then I decided that I might as well give the characters some depth if this is gonna become one of my epics.

And I just love Francis as a character. He's all big and tough but you really get the impression sometimes that he's just a big old pussycat. Lol.

Don't Forget to Review!

Cya.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Left 4 Dead (Even though it is a wicked game). I just wish I did.

* * *

Harry Potter/ Left4Dead crossover

* * *

In Case Of Zombies

By: Mage-Alia

Chapter 2: Two Weeks Later

* * *

Summary: What do you do when the world is being consumed by a mutated killer virus. What happens when your relatives, in one last reluctant act take you with them to another country, and what happens when they leave you for dead against the Undead hordes? Harry is put to the test as one of the few survivors of the Apocalypse, but with no help from the wizarding world, how long will he last?

AU, No Pairings.

* * *

_**Alley Off Main Street – Downtown Fairfield.**_

_**T Plus 2 Weeks**_

* * *

It was a rather tired and bedraggled bunch that made their way down the alley between two apartment buildings in downtown Fairfield.

It had been two weeks since that eventful first day when Zombies had overridden the city, causing mass chaos and panic. To Harry, those two weeks felt like an eternity as survival became the biggest focus of all. Where he'd once believed that he was only just Surviving, after Voldemort killed his parents he knew now, without a shadow of a doubt that he couldn't have been more wrong if he'd tried.

In the past two weeks he'd killed zombie after zombie in what seemed like an endless horde as he and his companions tried to mow their way across the city, but the task itself was hard. They had to compete with the mutants now as well.

Not long ago, a few of the zombies had started to mutate. Some gained a level of sentience, developing abilities that could have devastating effects on their small group if they where caught unaware.

First, and the most common of the mutations was the type they'd called the Hunter. Extremely agile and strong, they could leap over incredible distances, relying on baser instincts to direct them to the untainted human's on which they fed. Pouncing on their prey, they would pin you to the ground and claw at your guts until there was nothing left but a steaming pile of organs. It was far from a pleasant way to go.

The second most common mutation was the Smoker. These zombies grew incredibly long tongues that could lash out with an almost unerring accuracy and wrap around you before they reeled you in and slashed you to death with their claws. You could sever the tongue to make them let go but you had to kill them quick. Their limbs, tongue included, regenerated far to quickly for comfort.

The third most common mutation was the boomer. Obscenely obese, and more than a little disgusting, they could sometimes be the most dangerous to have around. Sure, they could be killed with a single well-placed shot, but that's where the problem really set in. Their bodily fluids… and more specifically, their vomit, was highly attractive to the normal Zombie hordes. When it came into contact with uninfected humans it acted like a homing device that would attract zombies from as far as a mile away until it either wore off, or was washed from the skin.

Fourth, came the Tanks. Terrifyingly huge, well and truly over muscled and far to strong for anyone's piece of mind they tore through zombie and survivor alike to devastating effect. Their small group had yet to come across one personally, having heard second hand stories from witnesses they'd found in the occasional shelter, but it was just a matter of time.

And the last mutation…?

* * *

Bill's raised hand brought them to a halt as they stopped in an alley. As enclosed as it seemed it was way too open for comfort as their fearless old leader knelt to the ground, plunging his fingers into the nearest pile of gore.

"Definitely haven't seen anything like this before." Having been a veteran of the war Bill had seen more weird shit than most, but this really took the cake as he got back to his feet.

"Don't let that stop you from smearing it all over yourself." Francis said, coming over from where he'd been following as the rear guard. Second's later he made a noise of disgust as Bill had the stones to wipe the slime all over his jacket and sneered out in reply.

"They're changing." From his place between Louis and Zoey, Harry shuddered. For the last two weeks nowhere had been safe. Francis was still cursing loudly as the teenager studied his new… for lack of a better word, Family. The four of them who'd left the shelter, and the fifth they'd picked up at the restaurant. All five of them had grown impossibly close. There had been no room for arguments or animosity when it had come to their survival. Within the first two days, Francis had been chewing at the bit, recklessly trying to take control of something till Bill had beaten it out of him. Louis had been terrified, constantly nay saying until Zoey had slapped him, and more than once they'd had to tell her to be quiet when she recited zombie lore while they where trying to get some rest in the shelters that where few and far between.

Life stories where shared, secrets busted out, they'd built a trust between them that came from saving each other's life way to many times to count and all of them where doing their damned hardest to watch over him.

For the longest time Harry hadn't dared to use magic. He'd followed along behind the others quietly, carrying a pistol and doing everything he was told. Then one night while the others where sleeping he'd tried a simple summoning charm and waited, waited for the Aurors to came and maybe even get him and the others out of this mess…. But they never came.

From that point on he'd been carefully making use of his magic to try and make the trip easier for all of them, but years of conditioning made it hard to just outright tell them as the words still rang though his mind.

'_The muggles must not know.' _

So he hadn't used his wand in open combat, instead, carting around a shotgun that nearly sent him flying when he fired it and a pair of pistols that gave him way more accuracy if not power. The automatic rifles Francis had somehow scrounged up more than made up for that. In the time since the beginning of the outbreak, Ammo had become one of the most precious commodities around, probably more so than food.

"Hey guys… I hear something!" Zoey suddenly hissed from her place to the side and they all froze, standing stock still as they heard crying from nearby.

Francis thought it sounded a little to familiar.

"There's someone alive in there." Zoey breathed out, looking vaguely haunted. The other three adults just looked at each other over Harry's head before the war veteran signalled for him and the other two to stay put and keep watch while he and Zoey hunted down the sound.

They tracked it to a door a little way down the alley and Harry put his back to the nearest solid wall while they waited in tense silence for them to reappear, but a few seconds was all it took for things to suddenly go to hell. Louis happened to be the one to see them first as the shadows at the end of the Alley shifted and writhed and then a horde of Zombies leapt out of the shadows with a chorus of moans, screeches and howls as they scented fresh meat.

With stealth lost Louis hid the next best thing.

"Shit, shit, shit, SHIT, SHIT!!" His hoarse cry sounded like an alarm as he swore, over and over. Francis whipped around from where he was facing the other end of the alley and neither wasted a second in opening fire and not for the first time Harry was glad he made a habit of sticking to the walls. The first line of the incoming enemies was mowed down by gunfire, but it was soon apparent that the two of them wouldn't be enough and Louis abandoned his guard post, running to the door Zoey and bill had gone through before throwing himself at the opening, torch shinning brightly into the room.

"Shit! THEY'RE COMING!" He all but yelled a split second before he noticed what _exactly_ had been in the room _with_ them.

When the Witch Screeched like a banshee Zoey did too.

"RUN LIKE HELL!!!"

None of them needed to be told twice.

Louis backed out the door as Zoey and Bill hurtled past him, heading over to help Francis with the horde while Louis slammed the door shut in the startled witches face.

All this had happened in less than a few seconds.

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when the door Louis had slammed shut banged against its hinges while the Witch beat it from the other side. The black man had to leap to the side as the Witch put her claw through the door and Louis wasted no time in retaliating, putting a spray of machine gun fire through the newly made gap and not letting go of the trigger until the protruding arm went limp against the door.

"Take that you bitch!" He shot a few more rounds into the corpse even as Francis was yelling to stay together under the newest wave of zombies. Firing like crazy the adults failed to notice the smoker that had snuck up on them until a filthy green tongue shot out of nowhere, wrapping around Bill and dragging him up the nearest fire escape.

"SMOKER!" Harry shouted firing his pistol at the smoker's tongue. One bullet hit it's mark and the organ was severed, dropping Bill to the ground as Francis spun, letting out a controlled burst of gunfire that exploded the mutated zombie's head into a cloud of bitter smoke.

"Hey, guys!" Zoey pointed out the new zombies coming in from behind as Francis grabbed Bill pulling him back even as he switched guns, dropping his machine gun to its strap as he hefted his shotgun and pumped it, shooting two zombies coming in from two different directions all before Bill had finished coughing, recovering from the strangulation.

"Merry Christmas." The biker said sarcastically at having saved his life before Bill got back into the formation. The crowd had crept closer in the time it took to help him and Zoey gestured over her shoulder to Harry to pull out one of her favourite surprises.

The collage girl had developed an unhealthy fascination with things that went Boom and she grinned when he threw her a pipe bomb.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" She yelled, turning on the timer and hurling it away from them. Pipe bombs where brilliant for attracting and killing zombies. They beeped loudly, and the mindless hordes went right for them. Of course, when the timer finally did go off.

"Ewww…" Francis muttered under the gunfire from somewhere off to the left where he'd taken cover behind a dumpster with Bill. Louis stumbled past them, gun up ready to fire again but the Alley was clear for now.

"Shit! You like doing that too much girl!" Francis continued to grumble as he hefted himself to his feet and Zoey just sent him an unrepentant smile as the first sounds of a distant chopper started up in the distance. Louis looked up as a searchlight swept the rooftops overhead and Suddenly he was running for the end of the alley and both Harry and Zoey took off after him.

In this city, at this time… it was absolute suicide to run off alone. In pairs, your odds where slightly better, but in their group of five, they had all the bases covered. North, South, East, West and…

"UP!" Zoey shouted and Harry brought his pistol up in time to see a Hunter sail from the nearby rooftop and down into the street where it landed right on top of their friend.

"Louis!" Harry called out but the man was already pinned, the hunter's hands trying to turn him into a steaming lump of gore with broken fingernails for claws. Zoey raced across the distance, using her momentum to knock the hunter away and from where he lay on the floor Louis pulled out a pistol of his own and helped along as they all fired rapidly on the mutated zombie, knocking it back into a car and killing it. But their moment of respite was short lived as the very same car got its revenge for the crushed back end.

Its alarm _**Wailed**_ into the night, echoing off the walls of the buildings, magnified in the already silent night and as Bill limped around the corner he spoke for all of them when he muttered to himself.

"This ain't gonna be good."

Shadows appeared on distant walls, and in the distance, the sound of incoming hostiles slowly grew in volume until the screams and moans of the zombies almost drowned out the blaring alarm. Zoey lead the way into the street, both her pistols out as Harry put his away, reaching for his own shotgun and brushing his hand over his wand for comfort before backing into their formation. Behind him, he could hear the ominous chime of the chain link fence that blocked the city street and didn't dare take his eyes off the shadows for fear of actually seeing the new flood of undead that where climbing over and into their section.

The others where worried, it was plain on their faces even as they stared down the record numbers of Zombies bearing down on them, but, before any of the running horde could reach them something emerged from the opposite end of the street, back lit by a fallen floodlight and Harry almost passed out with the sudden fear that nearly made him loose his grip on his gun.

"Oh, Shiiiit…"

His moan trailed off as a Car was flung through the zombies, bouncing over their heads and into the fence behind them, taking out the zombies that would have gored them from behind.

"Tank!" Zoey gasped, recognising it from the other survivor's descriptions even as Louis started backing up toward the newly made path.

"Run? Or Shoot?" He asked, repeating himself over and over until Bill finally snapped out an answer.

"BOTH!" So they ran, Harry in the lead. He guided them back into the alleys while the others shot backwards, and was first up the ladder of the fire escape when Louis pointed it out. He climbed up a fair way before he turned and started shooting, covering the others as they made the leap toward the ladder. Louis and Zoey, the much faster of the four, made it up onto the fire escape before the Tank finally turned the corner and threw a limp body at Francis.

Harry let out a scream but he needn't have worried as Bill wheeled around, returning the biker's earlier gesture as the Tank's hide was peppered with machine gun fire. Francis made the dash for the ladder but Bill was sprayed with blood as the zombie coming up behind him was suddenly beheaded by a shot.

"GET MOVING! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!"

Harry heard Zoey shouting, but didn't turn to look as Louis pushed him up higher and Francis boosted him over the high edging and onto the apartment block rooftop. Breathing heavily he lay on the concrete, listening as the Tank roared in fury as it's prey got away, followed by the sickening sound of twisting metal as it tore up the bottom of the fire escape. Louis, Francis and finally Bill all tumbled over the brick edging before he heard a shout and the constant fire of Zoey's pistols began to falter as she screamed, and then, following a thunderous crash of the fleshy behemoth and the twisted metal of the fire escape hitting the concrete below, Zoey suddenly reappeared, pulled over the brick divider like a rag doll by Francis, the story of how close she'd come to falling written all over her face.

"We made it! I can't believe we made it!" Louis panted sitting on the ground close by, elated by their escape, and Harry sent him a wan smile before Bill killed the mood.

"Son, we just crossed the street." He pulled a cigarette out of his packet and lit up, breathing in the smoke as the sounds and smells of the lingering Horde wafted up from the streets below. "Lets not throw a party till we're out of the city." Louis's face fell and he sat quietly as the old veteran got up, moving over to a corner and sitting down where some unnamed person had tried to hole up and wait for help.

"We… we should be alright here for now." Zoey breathed out, sufficiently recovered enough to speak. Overhead, the chopper they'd seen earlier returned its loudspeaker blaring as the light washed over them.

"HEY! YOU DOWN THERE! IF YOU CAN MOVE, HEAD TO MERCY HOSPITAL! THERE'S A RADIO ON THE ROOF SO CALL US WHEN YOU GET THERE AND WE'LL FLY YOU OUT!"

It was the best news they'd heard all night.

Harry finally rolled off his back, feeling the first aid kits and their meagre food supplies flattening underneath him before he got to his feet and looked to the others. There was no hiding the hope in their eyes as they stared back and without a word they'd all silently agreed.

They where going to Mercy.

And no zombie was going to stop them.

* * *

"Hey! There's some stuff over here we could use!"

The five survivors had been lazing on the rooftop for the past fifteen minutes, recovering from their frantic dash through the alleys and across the street before they decided to explore. Louis, one of the more curious of their group, had pulled up a tarp, revealing a number of dead bodies from those that had died on the rooftop, or maybe somewhere down below and dragged themselves up there, but either way, most of them where clutching weapons. A shotgun, a few pistols, and a machine gun that had been making the rounds of the city were a few clutched in their dead grips. A few first aid kits and a bucket of assorted ammunition lay not far off as well, indicating they'd been ready to hold out for a while before things got the better of them.

Ignoring the fact that he was technically scavenging from a corpse Bill limped past and picked up the machine gun. He'd lost his after the Tank had attacked, having dropped it in order to climb the ladder to the rooftop faster. Harry had lost the shotgun, however they'd all managed to keep at least one pistol on their person, so they weren't completely defenceless.

Of all the weapons in the city, handguns had been the most common; therefore, there was a corresponding amount of Ammo for them. As long as you had a pistol, you had a weapon and in this situation it meant a great deal toward your survival.

It was even better when you had two.

Harry grabbed a second one, and stole a couple of first aid supplies before turning his eyes to the tall building in the distance. Mercy hospital was lit up like a lighthouse in the dark night. It's name in occasionally sparking letters on the side with a few search lights directed toward the sky where they'd been for the last few days. It was one of the last few places in the city that had power, having probably been running off a generator for the past few weeks.

Taking out a map of the city a pad and a few pencils he began to trace the route with one finger when Francis came and hunkered down beside him.

"Looks like a hell of a walk." He grunted, not looking all that pleased. Harry opened the notepad and on one page was a similar map. Scribbled onto the lined paper, however this one had new markings and sloppily drawn landmarks across it. Ranging from train stations and pawn brokers to the location of street blockades they'd either seen or heard about. The boy's brow furrowed as he compared the map.

"I think we'll have to take the train…" He murmured, pointing to the nearby station on the map once he'd figured out where he was. Beside him Francis cursed.

"Fuck… it'd be a death trap down there." Harry just lowered his head and looked closer.

"We need to get out of the building first." He reminded him and the burly biker groaned.

"Great! A whole fuckin' building of em." Harry just gave him a bitter grin as he began to doodle a new route on the lined paper opening up a rather torn up map of the subway to check which line went closest to their stop.

"Probably wont be any worse than taking the sewers." Francis froze, looked at him incredulously, then began to curse getting up from his crouch and stomping away to finish getting ready. Harry smirked at his exit for a little while before his face fell and he sighed, pulling out his wand to poke his first roughly drawn map.

Not long after the whole thing had begun, Harry had figured a way to help the others. Painstakingly wracking his brains for spells, he'd managed to create a very primitive version of the marauders map. It didn't move, or even detect anyone like the map of Hogwarts did, but he could update it as they moved. A few hundred meters at a time.

Anchoring down the map he held his wand in his palm above it.

"Point me, safe room." He whispered and his wand spun. It circled around a few times before it pointed off to the north east and on the map a square lit up right on the symbol of the nearest station.

Subway it was then.

His wand vanished back into his oversized shirt as he traced the glowing square and finally let it disappear. Gathering his things he put everything but the newest map back into his featherlight charmed bag and turned to the others.

"I think I figured out where the next safe place will be." He announced and they all limped, stumbled or walked over. Bill snatched the hand drawn map and looked it over before nodding.

"Looks good, with all the vandals these days all the subway control rooms are barred." He said in a gravely voice, long since over the fact that their youngest companion could mysteriously find any safe house along their route. Quite a feet if they'd bothered to care that he was an out of towner. They didn't know how long he'd been there, but hell, anything that could let them survive one more day with the hope of seeing the rest of the world one more time was too much of a blessing to look the gift horse in the mouth. The map was passed round and the directions memorised before the howl of a hunter in the distance reminded them that the world wasn't safe tonight. With each survivor making peace in their own ways, they moved to the roof access door of the apartment building and flanked it on each side. There was a long moment of quiet and with one last sigh Zoey reached out and flung the door open.

The first shot fired like a starter pistol and they where off, each of the five survivors moving together as they raced down the stairs to meet the first zombies of the newest horde. Every minute was vital and every shot would count.

Their survival called for nothing less.

* * *

A/N: And I'm leaving it there! Anyone who's played left for dead should recognise most of what happened in this chapter… after all, it's pretty much the only scripted part. Everything else I write is gonna have the major influence of my playing… habits.

Of course, that won't be including my teamkill score… : )

Don't forget to review!

Cya


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